EVERYONE knows that a dog is not just for Christmas. It is also a handy prop for seaside dates or an ice- breaker for single people.

To meet this pressing social demand, a new boutique in south Tokyo is now renting man’s best friend out by the hour.

Nestled along the seafront shops of the Odaiba beach park, Puppy the World is fuelling the latest craze in a culture where people like their pleasure fast and fleeting. For a little over £7, customers can choose from a tempting array of 35 dogs and enjoy the thrill of canine ownership for 60 minutes.

Like Tokyo’s best hostess bars, visitors entering the shop are first confronted by a large board showing photographs of potential companions. The dazzling choice includes Aria and Uran, both Chihuahuas, CoCo, the miniature Dachshund, Baruto the Labrador and the Toy Poodles Puffy and Prin.

Small blue rosettes have been attached to the pictures of Nobunaga and Rin, who currently lead the shop’s ranking system of favourite rentals. The latter, described as a spirited young Chihuahua, weighs in at just over 2lb and appeals openly to the Japanese worship of anything “kawaii”, or small, cute and loveable.

While the choice of dog is entirely yours, the 15 staff at Puppy the World are adept at judging which dog’s personality would best suit the customer. The Times was offered a feisty 1st 12lb bulldog called Jojo, with a spiked collar and particular passion for a brightly coloured tennis ball.

Before walkies can begin, an elaborate contract must be signed, identification documents produced and the shop’s proprietors must like the look of the customer. The staff then hand over a bag containing water, a tin bowl and plastic bags to clean up the inevitable effect of a blind date on a nervous dog. Once the lead has been handed over, all the liability is yours. At peak times, more than 70 people a day arrive at the store to secure their single treasured hour of pooch possession.

Hiromi Maeda, the owner of Puppy the World, explains that her customers fall into a broad range: families with small children who live in flats where pets are not allowed; older couples who used to own a dog and hanker after the good old days; and dog-owners who believe that their animals are lonely and want to introduce them to a temporary friend.

However, the great majority of customers are young dating couples hoping for a disposable glimpse of domestic bliss.

As Hanako Iida, a college student browsing the dog menu, explained: “It is just such a perfect way to spend a date. I can walk along with my boyfriend and we can pretend that we own a cute dog together. I would really love to own a dog, but I live with my parents, and even a little one would set off my Dad’s allergies.”

Puppy the World is not alone in offering young Japanese responsibility-free animals. Around the corner is a moodily lit emporium called Cats Living. Near the door, a human-sized plastic statue of a cat is slumped talking on a mobile phone and welcoming customers to the cat museum. Here, £7 will buy you an hour in a mock-up sitting room filled with playful cats.

The rental part of Puppy the World is not enormously profitable. The true purpose of the rental business, says Ms Maeda, is to let potential owners get a proper feel of what it is like to own a dog. Once a customer has tried an hour with a dog, they can pay an extra £55 to take it home overnight and learn the feeding pattern.

Across from the photos of the dogs for rent are cages of puppies for sale. Starting prices of around £900 seem to justify the rental experiment.

The rest of the shop is testament to the insanity of the Japanese around dogs. Surpassed only by the British in their adoration of all things canine, 120 million Japanese own 11.1 million pet dogs, and spare no expense in treating them to any gimmick going — hence Puppy the World offers dogs a Jacuzzi before their Dead Sea mudpack beauty treatment and claw manicure.

Explore World News

• World Agenda

• Iraq News

• US & Americas News

• Europe News

• Middle East News

• Asia News

• Africa News

• Ireland News

Times Recommends

• Michael Jackson: Not the final chapter
• Indian Army spends10m rupees on golf buggies
• Brüno toned down for 15 rating